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suite scarlett
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Monday, December 31, 2007

GOODBYE 2007

I have enjoyed starting off every post recently with giving away a Scarlett. Today is no exception!

When I last wrote a few days ago, I set a challenge to see if we could do something about the very poor state of the Amazon YA discussion board. At that time, it had eight sorry little discussions, floundering around and going nowhere. Now it has 34! And they’re great! This is what I mean about YA readers . . . you guys know your stuff!

The winner when the clock went off was:


What YA book are you reading right now/have you most recently read and loved?--Christmas gift cards need spending!


This was started by Jocelyn. So, Jocelyn . . . please send me your address, and the third copy of Scarlett will go out the door!

As my final act of 2007 . . . and my way of ringing in 2008 . . . I am giving away my final (as far as I know—unless I am sent some more, but I don’t think I will be) ARC of Suite Scarlett.

Here is the contest. Finish this sentence. “MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because . . .”

Answer it in whatever form you want. Answer it in the comments. Answer it on your own blog. Answer it in a video. Answer it in a piece of fan fiction. Answer it in an e-mail to me. You just need to get the answer to me somehow. If you answer it quietly, to yourself, I will never know. Any form of answer that I can access counts. You just need to tell me about it so I know to look.

If you were left out of the Amazon Challenge . . . mention this! It will give you BONUS POINTS!

Because judging this by myself will kill me, I am going to call a PANEL OF EXPERTS to assist me. They may include . . . . Oscar Gingersnort, my friend J.K. Rowling, Free Monkey, and Several Famous Authors. Know that I WANT to send books to everyone. I WANT to do that. I just have the one left, though, so I am forced to choose. I have tried to mix it up between asking questions, posing challenges, and picking names at random.

Know that I WANT to send books to everyone. I WANT to do that. I just have the one left, though, so I am forced to choose. Know that I look forward to having the real copies of the book to give out, because there will be lots of those!

The deadline for this is Monday, January 6th, 2008, at noon. One week from now!

Today is technically the last day of ASK MJ. But you know . . . ASK MJ will never really be over. I just won’t be answering in every single post. But if you ask me something that I simply must address, I will immediately do so!

I got great questions this time . . . great because they were all about FEAR and DANGER. Two of my favorite topics!

jellybean said...
Emergency cheer question!

Let's say that a few weeks ago you took a short weekend vacation to the seaside. You were frolicking in the ocean, like a FOOL, when a rogue wave smashed you to the sand, held you under, and gave you a lump the size of a baseball on your hip.

You have hidden said lump with only moderate success over the holidays. Now New Year's Eve is coming up, and you are sick of wearing baggy dresses. So you are going to wear an awesome dress that totally shows the still-huge lump.

Question: what is your awesome cover story for this lame, lame injury?


Jellybean, have I taught you NOTHING? If I get across one point and no other, I hope it is this one: THE SEA IS OUT TO GET US ALL. I blog about it. I wrote a book about it. And yet, despite my best efforts, many of you still frolic in the gently lapping Waves of Death.

But okay. So you went swimming and were hit by a (*shudder*) rogue wave. Lesson learned . . . HOPEFULLY. You need a cover story. I have one.

That lump is where you keep your hamster. It is a hamster holster. You keep your hamster on your hip because you know Zac Efron breaks into houses and eats unattended hamsters sometimes, and you know that he will know that a lot of people are out tonight and there will be hamsters aplenty to feast on. You are no fool.

anonymous said...
Is your New Years going to be as equally festive and cheery as your christmas? I was wanting to warn you that there is a very large possibility that JK will break into your house at exactly midnight and wishing you a frightening new year of jam thievery and "dancing queen"/jelly fish nightmares. I'm not psychic, she just seems like the kind of person to do that.
Be afraid...be very afraid.


I needed this image in my head about as much as Zac needs another hamster in his mouth.

bissfullydazed said...
You know what? Zac Efron has no business eating hamsters. I almost wish someone would eat HIM, thereby ending High School Musical's plot to collaborate with Wal-Mart and Starbuck's to take over the world. I have two questions. 1. WHEN is Girl at Sea coming out in paperback? and 2. Is there ANY way we can come up with a an incredibly complicated hairbrained scheme in which I stow away with you in the plane on your trip to England? PLEASE?! I HAVE to go!


I agree with you about Zac and the hamster eating. I don’t know if I would go so far as to say that he should be eaten himself, though.

As for the other questions . . . I think Girl At Sea comes out in paperback in May. I’m not 100% sure of this, but I think so. It will probably be right around the release of Suite Scarlett. As for number two . . . I am sure we can work something out. I will need protection, after all. J.K. has been leaving little hints at my door that she knows when I am flying to England. Can you fit in a bag? Can you be ready in a week? Are you willing to fight J.K. Rowling?

If you answered yes to those three questions, we should talk.

shausto-la said...
aww no i cant post on amazon. *headdesk* but i do have a question. Why in the world is Mario so darn funny looking??

I mean, really. with that funky red cap and blue overalls and HUMUNGO white gloves that he so stole from Mickey Mouse...its actually pretty freaky..


I had absolutely no idea what the answer to this was. But you are lucky, Shausto-la. First, I have video game expert Oscar Gingersnort here (but he is busy making fun of me at the moment). I *also* have Famous Mario Expert Charlieissocoollike.

It was Charlie who answered your question. He said:

1) Mario originally started in 8-Bit and its tricky to make detailed 8-Bit characters. To make sure that the Mario character was recognizable as a person in this very simple form of computer graphics, the people in the character design section of Nintendo obviously tried to emphasize all of his features too make sure that people could tell what he was. This meant Mario was blessed with a big mustache (to show he is male) and then big hands and big feet. Mario's limbs and facial hair have shrunk a bit from his move during his move from 8-Bit to Wii, but his limbs are still kinda large.

2) Mario is a plumber, and is apparently always caught on the job when he is asked to go rescue Princess Peach which is why he is always seen in his plumbing uniform. The gloves are obviously there to protect his hands from the junk people shove down their drains and the dungarees are there because they are just far more practical when doing work. Mario doesn't have time to tighten his belt, Mario has a job to do.

3) The reason that Mario's uniform is bright red and blue comes back to the whole 8-Bit simple graphics thing. If you can remember, Mario has a brother, Luigi. These two brothers do look and sound quite a lot alike so to be able to tell the two apart they had to don uniforms that were strikingly different to each other in terms of color. Also, there weren't really that many colors to pick from in those days so Mario got stuck with the basic ones, which always turn out to be really bright.

4) Mario also chose to dress in red and blue because the world he lives in is primarily green and brown and so he wants to stand out from the background so Princess peach will notice him. This also explains why Luigi hardly ever gets kissed like Mario does at the end of the games because Luigi just kinda blends into the background and peach doesn't really see him.

5) Mario looks kinda odd because he is Italian and as a general rule all Italians are required by law to look kinda funny.

cei cei said...
lily i truly feel your pain. my Scarlett card is also taunting me, but she keeps changing what she says. her two fav. things are- 'HAHAHA, You cann't read me til the day AFTER your birthday! Just like Libba Brays The Sweet Far Thing (which came out 12/26)! HAHAHA'

or 

'Tho there is a small chance of you winning a copie of me early it will not happen, then in may I will be sold out!MAWWHAHAHA!'

clearly Scarlett DOES NOT like her potential readers.*sniff sniff*


A lot of you also seem deeply freaked out by Scarlett. There are many reports of her staring at you, talking to you, and controlling you. Rest assured . . . it is only her picture that does this! The real Scarlett would do no such thing. The real Scarlett has enough to deal with . . . like insane hotel guests with dead ferrets, actors on unicycles, handsome boys who burst into flames, hotel rooms with criminal histories, rich boys with dinosaurs, younger sisters with too much power, and a family on the constant verge of disaster. She would tell you that the last thing she wants to do is freak you out. She herself is trying very hard to KEEP CALM.

Also, she won’t be sold out. There will be Scarletts for all. Big boxes of them. Don’t you fret!

2007 has been a big year. I wrote Suite Scarlett, Girl At Sea came out. There was the Bartlesville book banning (to be discussed in a later post soon). I met Free Monkey. In August, I took a train to Georgia with Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, Holly and Theo Black, and Cassie Clare and wore a Wonder Woman costume.

There were darker moments too. I think you will all remember the reports in which I was spotted driving around with a baby on my lap. What made it worse, I guess, is that it wasn’t even my baby. Or my car. But at least I have a LICENSE.

Then there was my disastrous rap album, “Free Monkee Playa.” I thought I could rap. I really did. Everyone told me that I was great . . . so great that I should go somewhere else and share my rap with OTHER PEOPLE. Sorry for that.

What does 2008 have in store?

Oh, my friends . . . my dear, dear friends. More, and better. There will be work on Suite Scarlett 2 (already started, actually) and the revealing of the secret project I have been working on in the UK. Suite Scarlett will come out in May . . . and there will be celebrations and a truly awesome contest. Later in the year, Let It Snow will appear.

Plus, I have plans for this site and this blog. PLANS. Plans that involve you. Plans that at this point include more updates, new stuff to help you with book reports . . . and maybe getting an assistant to help me keep it all running. (Note to J.K.: do not even think about applying.)

So, until next time (which won’t be long from now), please get your entries in to get your Scarlett. And have a Happy New Year!

Labels: , , , ,

66 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think 2008 has many fascinating festivities in store, foremost among which will be a very disgruntled JKR. I mean, Harry Potter is over and done with and all the publicity of her scandalous lollops through your life will have settled. She'll be fully frustrated indeed.
Poor, poor JKR. Regardless, I'm very excited for next year because John Green's next book AND your next book will be released to the eager public.
Huzzah for anticipation!

12:12 AM  
Blogger The Compulsive Reader said...

Congrats to Jocelyn.

2008 shall be very exciting! Many, many new books. Yay!

12:15 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think you should give me Suite Scarlett because I have a group of friends who are true nerds (and two of us are nerdfighters) and we pass books around and then hold informal and somewhat strange book discussions about them. So this book would belong to me and about six other people, which would partially solve your problem of wanting to provide more people with early additions of Suite Scarlett. And more importantly: I am the poor bibliophile who did not get a single book for Christmas. Not even a Borders gift card! So I am in serious need of a new novel. Please help me out of this tragic case of book-withholding!

12:17 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because . . . um she shouldn't i have decided that i do not NEED an advanced copy of suite scarlet signed by you, because i just receaived in the mail a signed copy of Devilish from you and i am SOOOO excited so i think that someone else who does not already have someting from you should get it, because they probably deserve it more. but i just wanted to say THANK YOU! because i love it! Devilish is my favorite book by you. Once again THANKS and i hope the suit scralet goes to someone who will really love it.

-JK

12:21 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ should send me a copy of Suite Scarlett because my birthday is in January (the 28th) and the Space Shuttle Challenger happed to blow up on my fifteenth birthday and well birthdays have never quite been the same since then.

Jessica

12:52 AM  
Blogger Sandy said...

Plans, you say? What an interesting word, what an interesting set of vague implications!

Anyway, moving right along. As lovely as 2007 has been, 2008 is looking spectacular. There are so many new books being released! I simply can't wait.

This being said: MJ should send me Suite Scarlet because not only could I not participate in the amazon contest, but as awesome as turning 19 on the 2nd is going to be, it'd be infinitesimally better if I won a copy of Suite Scarlet.

1:03 AM  
Blogger Reese said...

MJ should send me a copy of Suite Scarlett because my problem isn't my cheer card Scarlett. Oh no! The real Scarlett is following me around! BUT she does have a good reason. She wants to help with THE SUPER AWESOME PROJECT!! which will get more teens reading and raise censorship awareness. I appreciate her help and whatnot but she won't leave me alone! I'm eating-- shes there. I'm singing in the shower-- shes right on the other side of the curtain singing along! I need to read about her, discover her weakness, and help her resolve it so she can go back to her hotel and stop hampering the plans for the SUPER AWESOME PROJECT!!


A note to everybody else: If you feel that teens don't read enough and censorship is a growing issue that needs to be addressed and want to help, you can
1) go to Reesespeaks.blogspot.com and leave a message in the post about the project.
2) Email me at missingauthor2@gmail.com
3) go out and plan your own SUPER AWESOME PROJECT!!

1:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ needs to give me a Suite Scarlett because I am a ninja. A *well-trained* ninja. And also, I have connections with the mafia. Yes, the MAFIA. More correctly, the NINJA MAFIA.*

*Please don't take this as a threat. More like a very interesting fact!

Cheers!

1:03 AM  
Blogger WannabeWriter said...

MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because I made a bet with J.K. Rowling and can not afford to lose.

A few days ago, I’d been in the coffee shop, nibbling on a brownie when J.K. comes up to me with a smug smile on her face. “I know what’ll happen in Suite Scarlett.”

I blinked. “You mean, Maureen Johnson’s book? The one that doesn’t come out until NEXT YEAR?”

But she just nodded and kept that smile plastered there on her face. “And I would tell you ...”

“I sense a ‘but’ coming on.”

“... But it’s top secret. I’d have to kill you.”

I sighed. “Please?”

“No.”

“I’ll give you my brownie,” I offered, breaking off the bigger part of it and holding it up.

She sniffed it and scarfed it down in one bite. “Fine.”

And then she proceeded to spill everything about Suite Scarlett.

Now, I have to manage to get an early copy, so that I can prove she has no clue what she’s talking about. I have to prove that there are no sharks, vampires, or Orlando Bloom appearances in Suite Scarlett.

Or was J.K. right about everything?

:)

1:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because . . . well, why not? It would make my day. Heck, the book's presence may even improve my Clue game-playing skills. Who/Where/What was it? "[Miss] Scarlett. In the... ah... Suite... with the... erm... Jorge Rodriguez tape..." yesssssss-ah. Nothing like starting out the New Year as a Clue champion. v.v

1:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because . . .it would be one more step closer to brillance, my personal goal for 2008.

2:04 AM  
Blogger Jez said...

MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because I didn't get to participate in the Amazon contest. Also, I made a video response on YouTube when you were looking for them, about all the things you can do when you're home sick, and my video converter broke and I couldn't get it up for you to see. Thirdly, I made the mj_book_fans community on LJ and it's not quite as alive as it should be, and a (non-spoilery) book review--nay, the first book review for the fans--would really help us gain membership & activity.

I hope you & Free Monkey have a wonderful New Year's Eve and a fabulous year in 2008. May it be filled with pink tasers & less JK than 2007.

4:19 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

M.J. should send me Suite Scarlett because...I have a history involving mysteriously disappearing hamsters. The first belonged to my best friend when we were small children. We loved him, but one day, he wasn't there anymore. Her mother claimed that he had fallen down the heating duct just like the rats of NIMH. This story always sounded suspicious to me. Then, a year or so ago, I had a hamster myself. And one night he too disappeared. My mother insisted that our cat must have eaten him. But now I know better! Clearly Zac Efron's disturbing habit was involved in the mysterious disappearance of these two beloved hamsters!

So now I know the truth, and I thank you very much for revealing it to me. And I'd like very much to make Zac Efron pay for his deeds, but since he is a "star," I'm afraid this may not be possible. So I will need Suite Scarlett to distract me and drown my woes.

Also, I was not able to participate in the Amazon challenge.

4:44 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

“MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because I am deeply saddened.” Said the girl who shall be only referred to as JD. Her desk chair started to slip back on it’s own accord and she had to use her arms to pull it back to the keyboard. “I just finished ASFT by the amazing Libba Bray and she killed of the one true love of the main character.” She sighed, “There wasn’t nearly enough making out for him to die yet.”
“Oh, waaa,” said the ugly-spirited elf who lives in JD’s desk drawer, “if it were up to you, all anybody in literature would ever do would be make out. That is what fan-fiction is for.”
“Elfred, you are just a meanie,” said the annoyingly-sweet fairy princess who sleeps on top of the computer monitor, “did you actually expect her to read those 200 pages of The Grapes of Wrath that she needs to finish in the next two days? She needed a happy ending to get her though the humongous amount of homework that was assigned over break. You knew that she would put it all off to the last minute.”
“Would you guy’s SHUT UP?” yelled JD, she was starting to get testy. “I’m trying to write up a reason that will convince an author to send me a copy of her new book so that I can read it before anyone else I know. It doesn’t matter that no one I know reads the perfect, creative, shiny books of Maureen Johnson. I will brag anyway.”
Elfred the elf did not understand the plight of JD. “Well, why don’t you just read more Laurell K. Hamilton novels, ya’ big perv?” he asked.
“Because I would have to brave the dangers of the mall in order to buy them,” whined JD. “And my mother may look at the covers and realize that I’ve traveled from Sci-fi-land to Romance-ville.” She was beginning to panic, “then she’ll start to do something that I’ve feared for all my life. She will pay attention to what I read. I have spent many years perfecting my methods, telling my mother way too much about the plot of the things I read but leaving out all the things that would actually interest her. Giving her too much information on purpose in order to keep her from searching for information on her own. My plot cannot be thwarted by one single paper-back book.”
“Sweetheart, maybe you should lie down.” crooned Eliza, the fairy.
“I CAN’T.” yelled JD. “ I need to convince MJ that she needs to send me this book!”
“Why don’t you just type out this conversation then?” Elfred was being his sarcastic self.
JD was struck by an Idea. She began to type: “MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because...”

5:07 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because I fell asleep on New Years Eve and missed the countdown.

!!!

All my friends and family did something like go to Sydney to watch the fireworks but me? I slept through it. And they keep reminding me about this which is really not necessary since a) it only happened hours ago (I REMEMBER!!) and b) i'm trying to forget it.

So anyway, i have friends who like me adore your books so if i get it...revenge in mine.

And revenge it not the only reason--like i said, i adore your books!

I was also not able to participate in the amazon challenge.

5:14 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My should send me a suite scarlett ARC because clearly i am the underdog in this competition with nothing witty at all coming to mind.

All i can say is that i love your books (i am still searching for 13 little blue envelopes and Girl at sea). I was not able to participate in the amazon challenge.

6:09 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

*MJ not 'my' excuse the typo.

6:11 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

MJ should send me a copy of Suite Scarlett because I was so close to winning the Amazon thing but didn't and because once I am finished reading it, I will give Suite Scarlett a rave review on Amazon. That's right, with my amazing writing skills (which may not be displayed here), I will tell the entire world why I LOVED Suite Scarlett and why everyone in the world should love it too. Take that JK! No one will want your books anymore. *Insert evil laugh here*

7:45 AM  
Blogger Little Willow said...

Paula Yoo has a very festive picture of her hamster up at her blog. (If that link doesn't work, just go to her MySpace page.)

Happy new year's eve! This morning, I watched Bringing Up Baby while reading a new book. Good times, good times.

8:17 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

mj should send me suite scarlett because....

if you dont, i will probably go into respiratory arrest and will have to be admitted into the local hospital where dr. robert chase does NOT work, so then i will go into aniphlimactic (sp?) shock, causing me to have a lumbar puntcure which hurts SO bad!! and i will then go into a depression because there is no robert chase at my hospital and they'll give me uppers and i'll get so hyper that i destroy the world, the zombies and vampires at my side.

and this is all because i never got a really AWESOME early version of my favorite author's new book. and because dr. chase doesn't work at my hospital. or exist (at least jesse spencer does!!!!!).

i'd just love a book, maureen =)

love,
allie!!!!!


ps, there's a movie coming!!!!!

9:52 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I actually have a question, since you are much more used to flying than I am, and are probably aware of all the Dangers that lurk in the general vicinity of aircrafts.

Recently I flew to Florida to spend Christmas with my family. Our flight was Very Delayed, which I'm told is not unusual at this time of year. After we took off the flight was mostly uneventful, until the last fifteen minutes before landing (this was not long after midnight).

Then, the flight attendants came on the loud speaker and they proceeded to sing Christmas Carols. I am not a group singer, and so I was, I feel, justifiably nervous about all of this. Planes are not the best place for sing-alongs. But then, the scary part:

Just after a rousing and off-key rendition of Feliz Navidad, the attendant told us that we should be happy to be alive because, (and I quote) "Life Is Short."

This had the effect of making me look around wildly for the emergency exits, and wonder if my seat partner could be used as a flotation device in the event of a water landing. I know that Sing Alongs were not covered in the emergency instructions in my seat back, nor in the pre-flight safty instructions. Fortunately, her dire words did not prove to be immediately true, and we survived the flight.

So my question is, in the future, what is the best way to stay safe in the event of an Emergency Airplane Sing-Along?

11:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ i have to wish you a fantastical, J.K. free, anti-hamster-eating, Happy New Year!
and now...

MJ should send me a copy of Suite Scarlett because she is the fawesomest person on the face of Venus-no not earth. she is too fawesome to even THInk of being on earth. I was left out of the Amazon Challenge and have since been rather depressed, watching all the comments build up. I got so sad, i had to stop watching them and instead drank carbonated grape juice cus my madre wont let me drink wine and watch a big shiny..oh how shiny..ball drop in the television. And the Zombies! Oh MJ, the zombies are coming! I heard them in my walls again, they are whispering their secret plans to each other, and i still dont have a safety chamber beneath my bed to keep me safe! ehh well. and MJ, I think you should give me a copy of Suite Scarlett because you have completely freaked out my brother. I showed him your blog, and you see, he has a nut allergy. Now he is COMPLETELY convinced that J.K. is out to get him. Why you ask? I really have no idea. But I am sure that Suite Scarlett would show him that you are in fact a good person who does not send J.K Rowling out to get little boys. And now, I shall beg. Please, MJ? For my brother!?

11:37 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmGRkA5AEEQ

thats the video!!!
love allie!

12:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ should send me a copy of Suite Scarlett because Simon says so.

I was also not able to participate in the Amazon challenge.

Happy new year!

1:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hm. I'm not very good at asking for presents/gifts. So, I'll wing it and see where it goes.

MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because I still cannot find The Key to the Golden Firebird ANYWHERE! It's like it doesn't even EXIST in upstate NY. Plus, I have read all your other books, AND, I just finished Libba Bray's The Sweet Far Thing (not trying to compare here, but it was REALLY good. Heard you actually read the final draft of it, what did you think of it?), and am in need of some new book(s). So, thank you for reading this extremely weird paragraph of why you should send me this copy. Oh yeah, and I didn't even know there ws an Amazon Challenge...I don't think. Holiday CHEER sometimes gets me confused. Either way, I did not participate.

Happy 2008 MJ! :)

*Emilee

6:24 PM  
Blogger Jamie said...

The reason why you should send me Suite Scarlett is sad. Very sad. In fact, if you are easily moved to tears, you might not want to read it at all, it is that sad.

You see, not only am I a Canadian, I am a Newfoundlandian (more commonly referred to as a Newfie or a Newf). There are ridiculously few places to buy books here. In fact, the nearest major bookstore (Chapters) is over an hour's drive away, in St. John's. And, of course, my mom often gets lost in St. John's, so she doesn't like making too many sidetrips, so it is quite often that I go months without getting to even look at the new books, even when I have money to buy them! And even then, the Chapters is not the largest Chapters in the world, there are only a limited number of books. They do usually have some MJ books there (I have the place memorized), but usually only one or two copies of one or two books (the exception being not long after summer started and there were quite a few there, including many splash-proof Bermudez Triangles, one of which I bought).

What does all of this mean? Well, if I don't get one in advance, it could be months after the actual release before I do get a copy of Suite Scarlett for myself! Similar things have happened - for example, Eclipse (by Stephenie Meyer) was out for almost a year before I got a chance to buy it! Sad, I know. ;-;

Also, for the record, I missed out on the Amazon Challenge.

Also I apologize if the sadness of my tale was too much for you! D: 'Tis a tale of woe indeed.

9:45 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hi MJ!

I do not have a reason yet (will repost when I do) but would you consider please editing spoiler for Libba Bray's book out of JD's post? I know that you are anti-censhorship, but spoiler removal is not really the evil bad Bartlesille sort of thing, you know? I do appreciate her sadness but I have not read it yet and am sort of bummed that a spoiler was posted here. (Maybe that will be my reason, because I really do not like it when people spoil my books. When the last HP came out, I threatened all the students in my school with detention if anyone spoiled it for me. I do not read in English as fast as I do in my native language so it took me a little longer to read it than most people.)

Apologies to JD, as I do not want to be all rude to her and her elfling (loved the story!). Was just a little bummed here.

9:57 PM  
Blogger The Perilous T said...

MJ should send me a Suite Scarlett because my New Year's Eve was very UNcheerful, and because I missed out on the Amazon thing since my mother is convinced that Ebay and anything resembling Ebay-like Amazon- is harboring the devil in its hardware and refuses to order from them. Also, because it's my birthday soon and I won't be getting any more books for a while since I've pretty much exhausted my mother's tolerance for frequent trips to Barnes & Noble. And Suite Scarlett can go on my beloved bookcase, next to my collection of other MJ books! (Except for The Key to the Golden Firebird...I haven't managed to obtain one of those yet. BUT I WILL! I WILL! *cackles*)

10:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Here is what I'm thinking.
Roughly half of the world's female population is fawning over Zac Efron, right?
Falling into those eyes my mother dubbed 'bedroom' and under those dance moves and around that dubious acting?
Right.
So, here is my wonder: WHERE HAVE ALL THE REAL MEN GONE, MJ?
[I've posed this question before, and recieved no helpful answers.
See: lj, my]
Because, you know.
It's Zac Efron.
And just. Compared with James Mason and Humphrey Bogart and Gene Kelly...well.
Let's just say that if they ran a Talent Camp, he would maybe make it. Maybe.

10:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

So...the reason MJ should send me a Suite Scarlett is quite complicated. First off: I would have great joy in opening a box which contained one waving in front of the Suite Scarlett card and screaming," I GOT IT! SO THERE SCARLETT CARD!" and promptly throwing it out the window.(which will be opened)
Second: I can be the envy of all my friends. I can be the envy of JK ROWLING. I can make empty promises such as: I will give you jam and this book if you leave Maureen Johnson alone. THen I will not give her the book but givwe her poisened jam!!!!! HAHAHAHAH!
Third: I was unable to participate in the Amazon contest.
I am off to think of more reasons.

10:17 PM  
Blogger Rachel S. said...

MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because alliteration is just too fun and I can't stop saying Suite Scarlett Suite Scarlett Suite Scarlett...

12:09 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

everyone here has so many good reasons for you to give them a copy of Suite Scarlett!Just as I was about to type, "MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because..." I was nagged by the most uncomfortable feeling. I scrolled through all 31 comments before me, slowly losing hope that I was ever going to receive a copy of this wondrous Suite Scarlett book. And then, just as I was losing all hope, I lost all sanity.
Little Angel and Devil versions of J.K. Rowling appeared on my shoulders, bickering at one another quite loudly!
"Are you daft?!?" The devil J.K. hissed at me, her sharp horns protruding from her mess of hair, her fingers sticky with jam. "Don't listen to her, she's mad!"
"Nonsense!" The angel J.K. replied. "She has just as much a chance as anyone, don't you Katie?"
I looked back and forth between the two J.K.s--angel J.K. chomping on a scone while devil J.K. licked her fingers piggishly, her eyes wide with delight at the taste of the jam.
I must be crazy, I thought, quickly shutting my eyes and trying to ignore them as they argued and munched on their scones or licked their sticky fingers. I must be crazy.
But I could still hear them.
"Just do it!" Angel J.K. patted my shoulder like a loving grandmother. I smiled at her and then winced as she shoved another scone into her mouth, tiny crumbs spraying my face. "Katie, you know you can!"
"She's a mad woman! Besides, we all know that she made up all that nonsense of Ginny and Ron being related and about Hermione actually being smart!" the devil J.K. snarled and then smiled devilishly up at me. "Ginny is a robot! She was never related to Ron!"
I gasped in shock and angel J.K. started to roll up the sleeves of her robe. "You think you can go around insulting people!" she cried, fury evident in her eyes. "We all know you are just jealous because mother liked me best!"
"Oh no you didn't!" Devil J.K. hissed, sticking her pitchfork at the angel J.K.
Before my eyes the two started brawling, flinging scones at each other as well as insults. I watched in horror as miniature versions of Ron, Hermione and Harry came flying up on broomsticks to watch the J.k. smackdown.
So as I sat there, in front of my computer, the comment box just waiting to be filled, I decided to tell you why I cannot finish the statement, "M.J. should send me suite scarlett because..."
So I hope you can understand, after my retelling of my er, interesting experience, why I cannot finish the statement, though I would enjoy a copy of Suite Scarlett because your books are amazing and I love to read them!
Oh, crap! The J.Ks are back!
And they've brought more jam and scones!

1:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

crap. this is the third time I have tried to publish a second comment to clear things up from the first comment. (my apologies if my comments are actually showing up somehow and I do not realize this as you sit there frustrated because I posted so many times)

Things I need to clear up:
1) I was not able to participate in the amazon contest
2) I am jealous of everyone's awesome reasons to get suite scarlett
3)because all I have is this computer and two bickering women flinging pastries at each other
4)and it is worse now because Hermione, Ron, and Harry have decided to show up and throw scones as well
5) And--ow. Okay, nevermind. I can't type anymore for fear of getting hit with a jam jar and some english pastries.

1:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

First i agree with mylittlepwny, i also would like to know where all the good men have gone. There are none left in the part of the world that i live in and would like to know where i must go to find men that read really books like Uglies and Girl at Sea and To Kill A Mocking Bird and War of the worlds.
They do not read. They make fun of people who read! Honestly!
Second my Sweet Scarlet card has gone missing, earlier today she was sittting next to my cds and than GONE!! I wanted to know if she is only hiding in my room somewhere waiting to jump out and start yelling at me that i have to wait untill i can order Devilish and Key to the golden firebird (Which will take forever) or if she is off with the zombies planning something bad.
I know the real Scarlet would never do something mean, you would not write an evil main character, but what about her picture?

2:17 AM  
Blogger emily said...

i think you should give me the arc of suite scarlett for several reasons:

a) i am going to pirate dance camp and am required to have read all of your books, even ones that haven't been published yet. please don't deny me pirate dance camp!

b) it will be the perfect weapon against zombies during the coming zombie apocalypse.

c) jellyfish are scared of you, as you expose their evil plot to take over the world. consequently, anything with your name on it keeps them away. i usually use girl at sea to protect myself, as it has the most on the evils of jellyfish, but they have gotten so used to it that they are not frightened anymore. luckily, they also have a phobia of art-deco so the combined force can keep them away.

d) my inner raccoon likes shiny things, and suite scarlett looks EXTREMELY shiny.

e) kieth was my favorite character of yours, probably, next to parker, and i need more handsome actors who preform in/write unconventional things (which hamlet on unicycles promises to be).

f) i am being attacked by demons and need a shield, because they have taken my friends soul. suite scarlett would be perfect!

g) i really, really, really want it. a lot.

as you can see, you are blinded by good arguments to give the book to me. pretty please?

2:45 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, I e-mailed you my reason (which I think is pretty good!), so I'm just here to say Happy New Year! I have a feeling 2008 is going to be a good year....Especially if I recieve that copy of Suite Scarlett...

2:46 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because:

1) I was unable to participate in the Amazon challenge.

2) My sister (the little traitor) is a Zac Efron obsess-ee. (Not to mention a hypocrite - she calls herself an animal lover!) I need some sort of distraction from her obsessiveness.

3) My dad's Australian. Enough said.

4) I just looked at my dad's bookcase and was sad to see no books of interest. I've already read the Chronicles of Narnia and every single one of the Pern books. The other books are all science fiction, which I usually find boring, or computer-related! Excuse me while I gag. I clearly need something better to read.

5) And another thing. My dad wants me to read this book called Atlas Shrugged. He says I'd love it. But it's over a thousand pages long! I'm scared of it. What if JKR snuck through the window one night and hit me over the head with it? (Although I suppose I should be more worried about her hitting me with a super-heavy Harry Potter book.) So therefore, I need something to read so that I can tell him I'm too busy to read (*cough* Go NEAR *cough*) it.

6) Finally, my family is lacking cheer. We're not Christian, so we didn't get a tree. Although we're Jewish, and we should get to have cheery fun at Chanukkah, my parents decided to work practically every single one of the eight nights. Now that's depressing. Suite Scarlett sounds like a very good book. Therefore, it should make me more cheery. And we all know that you think EVERYONE should have cheer.

That's the end of my pitch. Happy New Year!

3:22 AM  
Blogger Plucky the Dragon said...

Maureen! You must let me have the last copy of Suite Scarlett!! There is a hypnotizing elephant wearing pink overalls eating a banana right outside my window, and it is so distracting that I am afraid I haven't been able to read all winter break! (Somehow, I have a feeling that a force much darker than J.K. Rowling is at work here.) Perhaps if you gave me the book, I could break my transfixed gaze upon said elephant and finally be able to read! Please help me!

4:45 AM  
Blogger Plucky the Dragon said...

Oh, and I also wasn't able to participate in the Amazon challenge because I was away at my grandmother's house, which smells like cabbage and broken internet.

4:47 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ, you should send me Suite Scarlett because I'm going to school in Chile for the spring and won't be back until July. That's right, you heard me... JULY. That means that even though Suite Scarlett comes out wayyyy before then, I get to wait until JULY. Unless of course you send me the last ARC, for which I'd be forever grateful! Also... I was unable to participate in the Amazon Challenge.

5:37 AM  
Blogger Aislinn Ai said...

MJ should send me a copy of Suitte Scarlett because I am one of the three teen book reviewers on 3 Evil Cousins and I would love to be able to review it before it comes out. And because I will give you a cookie. And because Free Monkey loves me. Free Monkey, you do, right? Right?

-- Aislinn Ai Nyx

5:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ should send me a copy of Suite Scarlett b/c
a) I couldn't participate in the Amazon challenge

b) I need some cheer in my life for the following reasons:
1. I am DYING under schoolwork and college/SAT stress,
2. I am in the middle of a feud with my best friends, and
3. My only sister just ran off to Italy and I don't know when she's coming back

c) I have no really witty and funny response (due to severe overwork from school. My mind has literally turned into a pile of cow sh*t)

d) I really really really want a copy

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
-Rosalee

6:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because . . .
. . . I was left out of the amazon contest because my parents don't believe in buying things on the internet(which keeps me from getting new music from iTunes as well. They don't understand I need new music or books!).
. . . her secret brothers made me cry. Just thinking of the end of the brotherhood, I would get teary and when I watched the last video, it was blurry. Because of my tears! Shouldn't she seek revenge by giving me something so made of awesome?
. . . Because of the crying mentioned above, I am lacking in beauty and style. Surely Scarlet could teach me how to be beautiful and cool, or at least as pretty as MJ. : )
. . . we both like Roller Derby. Although our favorite teams are different, liking such an awesome sport that isn't very popular should make us bond, right?. And it's not like Nashville has even skated against NYC, so we don't have to worry about that.
. . . I love MJ?

Surely one of those reasons warrants a book? I have more, but I thought that would be selfinsh.

6:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

1. Okay, first order of business: ahem: MJ should send me a sweet Scarlett because I live in DESERTLAND, USA. That's right, Desertland, in California's Mojave Desert. (there is no actual Desertland, this is just the name I'm using so that JK Rowling won't use the town's REAL name to locate it and therefore come to stalk me). And I need a Sweet Scarlett to reinforce my dreams of metropolitan life.

2. Ooh yay, you answered me! So honored. Thanks for letting me know when Girl At Sea may be out in paperback. I like paperbacks better, as they are easier to hold up when you are lying in bed, reading and losing circulation to your hands. Plus, cough, they're cheaper, cough.

As for the England question, SO glad you're willing to take me, however I can only answer yes to two questions. There is no doubt that I can be ready in a week - shoot, for England, I could be ready in an hour. And actually, I think I probably could fight JK - not physically, of course (with all that jam weight? ugh...), but mentally. I would chant things like "If Dumbledore's the one who's gay, why was it that HARRY"S naked behind was caught doing it with Orlando Bloom last night?" and "Na-na-na-na-na, Oprah's still richer than you!" and "I like the Craig Ferguson version of you better." and "I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves..."

But as skinny as I am, I still can't fit in a bag.

3. About Mario. You see, I actually have an irrational FEAR of Mario. He creeps me out in a way that not many video game characters can do. I mean, with that HUGE mustache and creepy, taunting voice, how can you NOT be scared of him? I've had nightmares of a 3-D floating Mario head in a bedroom in the middle of the night. And Sweet Scarlett and JK's faces are nothing compared to that. Mario is EVIL.

But thanks to Charlie, anyhow. His explanation made Mario a little less scary. But not much.

-Jacleen

8:01 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Forgot to mention, I wasn't part of the Amazon thing either.

Bonus points! Gimme!

8:07 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think you should send me the ARC because it was my 16th birthday on Dec. 31 and I really didn't do anything. All I got was a tv. While it was nice and all, I really didn't need it. So, I think that if I get the book, it'll cheer me up.

8:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You know why I should receive Suite Scarlett?

Because I want it. Really, really badly.

I have never won a contest of any sort EVER in my short, pathetic little life, but maybe that's only because I'm hardly into it yet. My life, I mean. Regardless, I shall use that important point to lure you into giving me a copy of your precious novel.

Secondly, I did not get much for Christmas (a truckload of pajamas and some chocolate), because my family gave most of our Christmas money to St. Jude's hospital, in order to help Spread The Cheer to kids who were in more need of it than I was. And Suite Scarlett would be the ultimate belated Christmas present. Much more rewarding than trivial items such as cell phones and video game consoles (because I play Super Mario OLDSCHOOL, YO.)

And to receiving those extra special BONUS POINTS (look, capslock!), I will not hesitate to inform you that I have been away from my computer during most of this Christmas holiday, and missed out on the Amazon Challenge of Awesome.

Oh, and tell J.K. that I sent her a fuzzy hat and a jar of jam in the mail. It should arrive shortly.

Have an absolutely AM-AH-ZING 2008. :]

9:02 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ should send me a Suite Scarlett because one of my friends told me the end of TSFT by Libba Bray before I even started reading it. Yeah, I'm not very happy with her. So now I'm very sad and the only thing that could possibly make it better is (of course) a copy of Suite Scarlett. I also have a BRILLIANT plan to get JK to stop stealing your food. I won't tell you every thing (she's probably reading this right now, and we have to catch her by surprise) But I will tell you that it involves zombies, oh yes I said zombies. So if you want the rest of that plan send me a copy of Suite Scarlett, (you can consider that a bribe) and if you didn't already know this, You Rock (Yup, that’s flattery, it gets you everywhere)

Happy New Year Everyone!!!
--Jessicalynn

2:59 PM  
Blogger Indy said...

MJ! You need to send that copy of Suite Scarlett to me RIGHT NOW! Do you know why? Because Scarlett's picture is obviously POSESSED! Think about it! The creepy eyes that follow you around the room... the knowing smile... the snacks that keep disappearing from your fridge. This can only be the work of one woman. JK Rowling has sent the ghost of Cedric Diggory to infest your beloved character's portrait! Why, I hear you ask? MJ, it is because you keep denying her your spiffylicious food items! At night, when you are tucked up in bed dreaming up future plot points, the ghost of cedric sneaks out of Scarlett's picture and raids your fridge for sweet treats to take back to JK! And there is WORSE TO COME, MJ! Cedric can come out of any picture of Scarlett! Just imagine, in a few scant months people across the ENTIRE WORLD will have copies of Suite Scarlett, each with that posessed picture on the front! No fridge will be safe! JK will achieve WORLD DOMINATION!
"OH NO!" I hear you cry. Oh yes, MJ. We live in dark times indeed.
"But Indy!" You wail in despair. "What can I do? Surely there is nothing that can now save us?"
FEAR NOT, MJ! For Indy, SUPER NINJA PICTURE GHOST EXORCIST has come to save you! Simply mail that ARC to me and with my SUPER NINJA BOOK EXORCIST POWERS I will rid every picture of Scarlett of that terrible ghost and send JK back to foraging in her own fridge WHERE SHE BELONGS!
Your SUPER NINJA BOOK EXORCIST friend, Indy.
P.S. I didn't get to participate in the Amazon challenge. I was too busy saving the world again. You know how it is.

7:55 PM  
Blogger The English Teacher said...

MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because my students need something new to read! I'm an English teacher and I have a (quite diverse) group of students who will read anything I give them to read outside of school. I bring them books from my personal collection (and after they make the rounds, many books are in sad condition). The goal is to make them read actual good books, including some awesome YA lit. I passed around "13 Little Blue Envelopes" recently and everyone loved it. Soooooo...make me and some random teenagers happy!!

8:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

*warning - Oliver Twist spoilers, so don't read if you don't want to know what happens in Oliver Twist*

"MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because..."

when I tried to ask the Artful Dodger if he knew of anyplace for me to get it, he stole me away into the night with Oliver Twist. There I witnessed the horrible greed of Fagin, despite his caring and love towards the boys. And when Oliver finally found a man who would enrich his knowledge and care for him without selfishness, he was thrust away yet again. I don't want to be like Oliver. I want to stay with Mr. Brownlow, and prevent the horrible murder of Nancy. But I can't, because right now Suite Scarlett is my Mr. Brownlow, and the only way to prevent the murder of Nancy is to stay in Mr. Brownlow's, perfectly undetected by Bill and his dog. But without Suite Scarlett, there will be no "happy" ending to Oliver Twist. Dickens will be swept up in a sad, sad theme of murdering-people-if-you-screw-up, and Bill Sykes will manage to do horrible damage to Nancy as well as Oliver and Mr. Brownlow.

9:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ shouldn't send me Suite Scarlett because I've been reading over these posts and noticed that there are plenty more people who need the book way more than I do. I got a pile of them for Christmas, plus two giftcards, which I can put to good use when the book actually comes out.
Good luck, all!

1:01 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh. My. God. I really want Suite Scarlett! So badly. So, this probably won't be as convincing as it would be if I could say something in a video, but I don't have a camera. Here it goes.
MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because...
A) I wasn't able to participate in the Amazon challenge, though I wanted to. Badly.
B) I canNOT wait until it actually comes out. How am I supposed to keep myself entertained? If I don't win, then could you give me some tips about what to do while waiting for a highly anticipated book (such as Suite Scarlett) to come out?
C) My birthday was a few days ago, and a copy of Suite Scarlett would be the perfect gift!
and finally
D) I love your books!!
So, as you can see I am in desperate need of Suite Scarlett and you should send it to me ASAP.

---
Bella

1:16 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness, I forgot to mention that I've never won a thing in my life. Never. Ever. Not a free bookmark, not a school raffle...Nothing. Nada. Zip.
Well, you get the point. So I hope this, along with everything else, will convince you to send Suite Scarlett to me. Pretty please? With a cherry on top and extra fudge and sprinkles?
---
Bella

1:26 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because... I LOVE CHOCOLATE! (and your books):) xoxo-amoonzi

3:07 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ok, I hope this is good:
MJ should send me a copy of Suite Scarlet because...Our lives are touched and molded mostly by other people/objects/places.We take our fatal twists because of the beings/things that step into our exsitance.Life is made up pleasures and memories given to us by whatever comes into it.The things that have given me a visible streak of empathy are books.They allow me to live life in two worlds:the world of books and my world. I get hooked onto the words and find myself opening up,especially when I read YOUR books.You can spread your genius mind on paper and create a life I don't get to often.Scarlett is a girl like us but will most likely have differences.I REALLY want to have a taste of the experiences of another one of your characters like REALLY REALLY REALLY badly.Also, I feel the buzz of a great book when I read about Suite Scarlett and I want to feel the hotel lifeof Scarlett.Your stories have deeply impacted me before so I'm sure this one will be spectacular.
ps.I didn't get to participate in the amazon contest.

4:46 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because her books make me more optimistic, and with school starting again and with lots of stress starting to pile up, it would be nice to have something that provides an escape and leaves me feeling happier.
-Annie

8:54 AM  
Blogger Jacklyn said...

AHH! just read the vestal virgins cake letter. amazing. so so good! there are some parts of this book that are just seamless and smooth, the kind thats hard to put down b/c there isnt really any stopping point b/c you're on this journey with gin... and then you throw in some cake or just a really great scene and I love love love it! also loved the scenes so far w/ keith... they just seem so real :) and i love that i can jump up to my computer and tell you this :)

10:26 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because I Googled "Maureen Johnson" and discovered that MJ the author no longer has any Google gainers! In fact info on, about or by Maureen takes up the entire first page except for one hit somewhere in the middle that is about the girl from Rent.

10:59 AM  
Blogger Plucky the Dragon said...

MJ... Monday is the 7th.

7:04 PM  
Blogger Reese said...

MJ! Look!

I wrote about why you should give me a copy of the book. And at the bottom I wrote about the SUPER AWESOME PROJECT!!. Yeah, well combine them. That is why you should give me Suitte Scarlett.

10:32 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because I have to go on a Confirmation Retreat this weekend and I hardley know ANYONE. I will be so terribly alone because the ONE friend who was supposed to go with me chickened out with the lame excuse that "it'll be cold." (These were her exact words) Sadly, the only people I do know either a) don't really like me or b)don't understand my scarastic sense of humor so I have to think very carefully about what I say which makes for very slow conversations. The only real company I will have for 36 hours is my copy of Girl at Sea, but I'm about to finish it. Once that is done I will be truly alone. My only hope of surviving this weekend is that you, the most awesome MJ will send me a copy of Suite Scarlett so the next time I am alone- even if it's just on the bus ride home from school- I will have a totally fab book to keep me company.

5:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because I am fighting the good fight against the oceans. Last time I went to the beach I didn't go in the water once, I just stood and gave that pool of evil my most steely glare. Also, I'm not the only one, Stephen Colbert wrote a whole paragraph about it in his book "I am America and so Can You."

12:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ummmm...i do believe the 6th of january is a sunday. And monday is the seventh.

10:04 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ should send me a Suite Scarlett because...

It would definitely make my year start off wonderfully. I really want my year to start off wonderfully. Last year, it started off kind of...blaaaah. It wasn't bad, just boring. Dull. Un-exciting. But if I got a Suite Scarlett, it would be a most exciting beginning of the year.

And, I could use it to complete my goal of reading 200 books this year.

2:46 AM  
Blogger Nurin said...

MJ should send me Suite Scarlett because

otherwise I will drown within a sea of homework, tests and other boring literature such as my 600 page long history textbook. And also because I didn't get anything at all for christmas :(

So all I've been reading have been tests with questions like
True or False and correct it so it's true.
Question: Textbooks are awesome
Answer: False. To correct replace Textbooks with "fun novels such as those written by MJ"

xD

4:29 AM  

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